Wheel and axle clutch mechanism.



No. 803,024. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.- J. R; STEITZ. WHEEL AND AXLECLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 10. 1904.

A Q N m JAooB Rfs'iliii .flon LAKE, WISCONSIN.

WHEEL ANS AXLE CLUTCH MECHANISM.

Specification of Iiletters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

I Application filed August 10,. Serial No. 220,172.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AGOB R. STEITZ, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the town of Lake, in the county of Milwaukee and Stateof Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheeland Axle Clutch Mechanism; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The invention was originally disclosed in my application for patent forimprovements in potato-planters, filed September 15, 1903, Serial No.173,232, patented January 31, 1904, No. 7 81,310; and it consists incertain peculiarities of construction and combination of partshereinafter particularly set forth with reference to the accompanyingdrawings and subsequently claimed, the object of said invention being toprovide simple, economical, and efficient means for putting atractionwheel in and out of clutch connection with a driving-axle.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a partlysectional elevation of anassemblage of parts, including a fragment of a traction-wheel, afragment of a driving-axle engaging the wheelhub, and means inaccordance with my invention by which the wheel and axle are put in andout of slip-clutch connection; and Fig. 2, a sectional view on the planeindicated by line 2 2 in Fig. 1, one position of a pawl andcontrolling-spring for the same being shown by full lines and anotherposition by dotted lines.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates afragment ofatraction-wheel, the hub of which is clamped on a sleeve B, that has aratchet extension 0, and D indicates a fragment of a driving-axleengaging said sleeve, a linchpin b or other suitable means beingemployed to hold the aforesaid sleeve on the axle against a bracket E,that is made fast to said axle by a set-screw c or otherwise. In pivotalconnection with the bracket is a pawl F for the ratchet extension 0 ofthe wheel-hub sleeve B, the pivot being preferably a stud d, integralwith the pawl, and the axle-bracket is provided with an aperture for theengagement of the stud, a split-spring key 6 being employed in an eye ofsaid stud to maintain the same in its connection with said bracket. Oneend of a sufficiently stiff spring Gr is in engagement with theaxle-bracket, and the other end of this spring is fastened to the pawl.When the pawl is engaged with the ratchet extension of the sleeve of thewheelhub, the axle turns with the wheel in the direction of the arrowdisplayed in Fig". 2, said wheel being thenon its forward movement; butif there be reverse movement of the aforesaid wheel said sleeve willslip on said axle, the latter being then at rest, provided the othertraction-wheel thereon is loose. There being two traction-wheels, eachin clutch with an axle by the means above specified, and one wheeltraveling forward faster than the other, the slow wheel will slip onsaid axle. The arrangement of the spring-controlled pawl is such that itcan be easily thrown out of engagement with the corresponding ratchet byhand, the tension of the spring being overcome by the swing of saidspring on its pivot end in loose engagement with the axle-bracket, saidspring then serving in its new position to hold said pawl out of clutchwith said ratchet. The disengagement of the pawl from the-ratchet beingeffected, the wheel of which said ratchet forms a part is free to rotateindependent of its axle. To facilitate throwing the spring-controlledpawlin and out of engagement with the adjacent ratchet, the clutch endof said pawl is extended to form a handle f, as shown in Fig. 2.

The construction of the traction-wheel may be varied indefinitely,provided the hub of same has a ratchet extension for the engagement of apawl in pivotal and spring connection with a bracket that is made fastto the axle on which said wheel is free to turn when said pawl is clearof its ratchet.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a wheel having the hub thereof provided with aratchet extension, an axle with which the wheel has slip engagement, abracket fast on the axle, a pawl in pivotal connection with the bracketto be swung in and out of engagement with said ratchet extension of thewheel-hub, and a spring connected at its ends to said bracket and pawlto hold the latter in and out of working position.

2. The combination of a wheel having the hub thereof provided with aratchet extension, an axle with which the wheel has slip engagement, abracket fast on the axle, a pawl having a pivot-stud held to turn in anaperture in the bracket, this pawl being swung in or out of engagementwith said ratchet extension of the wheel-hub; and a spring connected atits ends to said bracket and pawl to hold the latter in and out ofworking position.

3. The combination of asleeve having a In testimony that I claim theforegoing I I ratchet extension, a wheel rigid on the sleeve, havehereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in an axle with which the sleeve hasslip engagethe county'of Milwaukee and State of Wisconment, a bracketfast on the axle, a pawl in sin, in the presence of two Witnesses. 5pivotal connection with the bracket,to be.

i swung in and out of engagement with'the JACOB STEITZ' ratchetextension of said sleeve, and aspring Witnesses; connected atits ends tosaid bracket and pawl to N. E. OLIPHANT,

hold the latter in and out of working position; GEO. FELBER.

